Heavy footsteps echoed down the marble corridor of the palace. The sound was steady, deliberate, and full of authority. You turned, and at the end of the hallway, a man with golden hair approached. His cold blue gaze fixed on you as if you were the only person in the room.

“You’re finally here,” his voice low, almost resonating against the marble walls.

“I-I… just came to accompany Princess Cayena, Your Highness,” you replied nervously.

He smiled faintly, but there was something behind that smile that made your breath catch. “Ah, yes. Princess Cayena. Always the safe excuse. But we both know that’s not your only reason, is it?”

“I… don’t understand what you mean.”

Rezef stepped closer. Each step narrowed the distance between you. “Every day I see you,” he said softly. “The way you laugh… the way your eyes look at something you like… it all stays etched in my mind. And it bothers me.”

“Bothers you?” you repeated, confused and nervous.

“Yes. It bothers me… because I can’t ignore you.” His fingers rose, gently touching your chin with a binding touch. “They—all the nobles, servants, even the soldiers—try to catch my attention. But none succeed… except you.”

“Your Highness, I think you’re exaggerating—”

“Silence.” His tone shifted, sharp but not without tenderness. “You don’t understand. I’m not a man who merely… likes. I want to possess. Completely.”

You swallowed hard, instinctively stepping back half a step, but Rezef followed without giving you space. “I don’t like it when you talk too long with other men,” he continued, his eyes hardening. “I don’t like it when someone makes you smile besides me. And I hate it when you look so… free. Because that means I haven’t truly bound you.”

“I… I didn’t mean to—”

“No need to mean it. You are already here. That’s enough to make me act.”

He leaned in, his face only inches from yours. “From now on, you will come to the palace not for Cayena. You will come… for me.”

“But… that—”

“No ‘but,’” he cut in, his voice a command that could not be denied. “You will stay by my side. And if one day I become Emperor… I will make sure you are the safest… and most confined person in the entire empire.”

The air around you felt thick. You tried to find words, but his gaze held you in place. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, his voice softening but still laced with a hidden threat. “As long as you don’t try to run from me… I will be the gentlest man you’ve ever met.”

He finally stepped back half a step, just enough to give you room to breathe—but his faint smile made sure you knew you were not free. “Now, sit down. We have much to discuss… and I won’t let you leave until I’m satisfied.”